


Once I Was 7 Years Old

by JHyun33



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, I really love Markhyuck, Johnny is only mentioned like twice, M/M, Melancholy, Minor Character Death, looking back at the past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 23:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10056545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JHyun33/pseuds/JHyun33
Summary: This driveway held so many memories Mark will never forget.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is obviously inspired by Lukas Graham's song "7 Years", so feel free to listen to it while reading~  
> (Why are my fics mostly inspired by songs??)

Mark had felt empty when his mother called him. There were no tears, no anger, just nothing.

 

But he feels a heavy weight on his shoulders when he enters the house.

The house he grew up in.

His mother is crying, his aunt does too and the rest of his family cries. All Mark can do is hold his mother and whisper how everything will be okay, life will go on someday and she will stop crying.

He spots Jaemin and Jeno with Jisung standing in the kitchen with Mark's cousins, they drink tea and talk quietly. Jisung looks like he cried a lot at the funeral, Jaemin has a supportive arm around him. From the front yard Mark can hear children screaming happily and running around as if there wasn't anything sad happening in front of their eyes.

He lets go of his mother, because she wants to go to the kitchen to prepare the mourning dinner and he walks up the creaky stairs.

His room looks exactly like when he left and it's as if time was frozen still in there.

The blue paint on his walls has faded a bit since, but the shelves are still full of small action figures and there is a poster of Girls' Generation next to his closet. His desk isn't messy like it used to be when he still lived here. The bed is made nicely and a decorative plant is on his desk, it probably needs to be watered considering the browning leaves.

 

There is a room Mark hesitates to walk in.

His father's office.

The cold wooden door creaks slightly when he pushes it open. Still standing in the door frame he looks over the furniture. Ever since he was a child he thought this room had a cold aura, all dark colors, sparely decorated. His father hated decoration.

He takes a step in after breathing in and out deeply.

Of course, the desk is cold, so is the uncomfortable chair, the metallic desk lamp. His fingertips touch a piece of paper that still lies there with a pen next to it. His mother probably couldn't tidy up this place.

He reaches the window and presses his fingers against the icy glass. From up here he can see the neighbor's house, the street, the front yard and the driveway.

The driveway.

This driveway held so many memories Mark will never forget.

 

His parents bought this house when he was born. He couldn't even walk, so he crawled up the driveway when his father was working on his car and his mother played with him in the front yard.

As soon as he learned walking he followed his parents all the time, running after them in the garden and after the postman when he drove off.

In this driveway his father taught him how to ride a bike.

In this driveway he always played with his friends Jeno and Jaemin.

In this driveway he proudly waited for little Jisung to crawl towards him before he could walk too.

 

A smile grows on his lips.

This driveway and garage became the secret castle of his and his friend's fantasy kingdom. They were king and knights fighting against the evil dragon.

Mark saw his father's new car in the driveway for the first time. A silver Opel and it was the coolest car to him and Jisung.

In this driveway Mark saw his little brother falling from his bike and hurting his knees, which had to be nursed by their mother.

In this driveway Mark had his first kiss with his first girlfriend.

And then he feels the heavy weight on his shoulders.

He remembers driving with Johnny up the driveway blasting loud music.

But Johnny drove off fast when Mark got out of his car.

 

The smile drops.

He remembers himself sneaking out, walking on the paved driveway on his tiptoes.

In this driveway he drove up with his brand new driver's license.

He remembers rushed kisses in his first car in the driveway before entering the house.

 

His hand falls down to his side.

In this driveway he sees himself running away from home.

He sees himself and his father screaming, Jisung and their mother tugging them apart.

He remembers himself angrily throwing boxes in his trunk, Jisung begging him to stay.

 

Mark's hands shake.

It's all his father's fault, but yet he feels like he should've said something.

The last time he has said something to his father was ten years ago and he remembers the last words they exchanged so well as if it was just yesterday.

_"I hate you! Can't you see how much you're destroying my life?!"_

_"And you're destroying our family! You're dead to me, I only have one son!"_

It wasn't Mark's fault his father couldn't accept Johnny's open bisexuality.

It wasn't his fault his father was an asshole to everyone, who didn't have the same narrow-minded world view.

And it really wasn't his fault his father couldn't accept him anymore.

Mark learned to live without a father long time before he moved out. He didn't need a father then and he doesn't need him now. Mark wasn't his son anymore and he accepted that too happily, his hatred churning and burning like a thousand suns.

He hates his father.

But why does he feel so bad?

 

"Mark?" Arms wrap around his waist from behind and a head leans against Mark's back. "Are you okay?" It's then that he realizes he's crying.

The soft voice hums quietly. "It's okay."

"I- I should have-", Mark starts, but the arms squeeze him lightly.

"No, Mark. You shouldn't have said something before. It was him, not you.", Donghyuck whispers into the other's shoulder.

They stand like that for a while until small steps appear behind them. "Daddy?"

They turn around and Donghyuck smiles. Little Jihoon looks at them with big eyes. Without hesitation he runs in and hugs their legs. Mark admires how 4-years-old Jihoon doesn't feel the cold atmosphere of this room.

"Mark, your father did the wrong by telling you that you're not his son anymore. He should have at least tried to understand you like your mother.", Donghyuck says, lets go of Mark's frame to turn him around and face him. With a small smile he wipes away the tears on the elder's face. "Try to look at the positive outcomes of it."

Mark looks up and meets his eyes.

"You became independent at the age of 20, got a job and your own apartment, went to college and founded your own company, which is now worth millions of dollars.", the younger counts. He bends down to pick up Jihoon.

"And you got the best and most handsome husband and son."

Mark smiles.

"I just wish he could have seen this all before he...", he says.

"He's probably seeing it right now and who knows? Maybe he's proud of how far you made it on your own."

The older smiles. "Not exactly on my own." He leans in to kiss Donghyuck.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm working on longer fics these days, please bear with me haha
> 
> I really, REALLY love Markhyuck! Just wanted to point that out in case you haven't noticed lol


End file.
